


Avatar: The Journey of Yun

by Firelord_Lionheart



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 03:37:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19433137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firelord_Lionheart/pseuds/Firelord_Lionheart
Summary: The evil United Empire of Nations has taken over the world and prohibited bending except in the military. With Korra dead, all hope rests on the new Avatar Yun. With the burden of saving the world on her shoulders, destiny will take its course as Yun and her friends embark on a journey of survival, friendship, love, and self-discovery. Rated for strong language and war violence.





	1. Hope Rekindled

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I had this idea since 2009, but I obviously had to abandon it because of Korra, but I've been fumbling with the idea of resurrecting this ever since the finale aired. Ergo, instead of a Waterbender named Kasumi, our Avatar is an Earthbender named Yun. As always, show no mercy and nitpick the hell out of it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not Mike, I'm not Bryan, nor am I anyone else on the creative team behind Avatar and Korra. Copyright belongs to Nickelodeon and Viacom. I just own the plot, characters, and other things within this story.

_Fire_

An elderly man shooting a jet of flame from his fist.

_Air_

A boy of twelve creating a gust of wind with a wave of his arms.

_Water_

Streams of water swirling around an athletic young woman executing flowing movements with her arms.

_Earth_

A long-haired teenage girl stomping her foot on the ground and sending a boulder flying through the air.

_My grandfather Bolin often used to talk of his younger days; a brighter time when the Avatar, master of all four elements, always restored balance to the world no matter who tried to devastate it. Weeks after arriving in what was once Republic City, Avatar Korra, Grandpa Bolin, Uncle Mako, and Asami Sato had defeated Amon's Equalist Revolution. About a year later, in the days leading up to Harmonic Convergence, Chief Unalaq of the Northern Water Tribe had conquered the Southern Water Tribe, reopened the Spirit Portals, and had ultimately merged with Vaatu, the Spirit of Chaos to become the Dark Avatar. Despite him cutting off Korra's connection to her past lives, she still prevailed and ten thousand years of balance would reign. These events were a catalyst for the reintroduction of spirits into the mortal plane as well as many other great changes to come. Due to Harmonic Convergence, the Airbenders had returned in huge numbers including the anarchist, Zaheer of the Order of the Red Lotus. Although Zaheer and his followers were defeated, Avatar Korra was horribly wounded and fell into depression. The young, idealistic Kuvira of Zaofu took advantage of Korra's absence to take over much of what was, at that time, the Earth Kingdom, turning it into a great military empire. In time, Korra had snapped out of her depression and once again, Team Avatar rose into action. My family – the Beifongs – and Tenzin's family had assisted them in finally defeating Kuvira and her hordes._

_Once everything had settled down, Korra had hoped to spend the rest of her life in peace with her wife, Asami Sato. The world was at relative peace for a while. During that era of peace, my grandfather married my grandmother, Opal. Earth King Wu abdicated his throne and decided to divide the Earth Kingdom states, but the land ended up becoming two separate republics after a much-heated debate. The two most popular political camps were democratic republicanism in the south and a new philosophy known as communism in the north. What originally had begun as a political disagreement over territory had soon escalated into a civil war ending in a stalemate and the highest number of casualties since the Hundred-Year War, most of whom were civilians. After all the bloodshed and suffering the Earth Republic and the Earth People's Republic had to endure; the two countries – with Korra's urging – willingly reorganized into a union of twelve semi-independent states and renamed this land the Earth Federation. The world was at peace once again for many years, but it was not to last._

_Unknown to the world, an ancient evil not seen for thousands of years had risen from the shadows of time. Harmonic Convergence had reawakened much of what was lost, and this evil was Shadowbending, a dark perversion of Energybending originating from Water and Airbending techniques. In the United Republic, internal corruption and global influence had led to the rise of separatists. In the National Assembly, the ambitious Senator Donghae worked for more proactive measures to quell the revolution. Eventually, after pulling all the right strings, he was elected as President._

_In the years that followed, the world's nations began to crumble as the Separatist Revolt grew, and as a result, the nations were forced to pledge their loyalty to Donghae, who took them under his so-called umbrella of protection. What was once the Four Nations had now become satellite states of the Republic, eventually leading to the end of the Separatist movement. Little did the world know this entire conflict was a front for Donghae to bring the entire world under his rule._

_In what was to be the final battle between the Alliance and the Separatists led by the Shadowbender, the Dark Lord Shang, the conspiracy was unmasked. President Donghae, revealed to be the Shadowbending master, ordered his armies to purge the lands of the vast majority of benders above childhood age. As the massacre was being carried out, Donghae declared himself the Emperor and the free lands of the world fell under the rule of the United Empire of Nations._

_Avatar Korra, furious that she and nearly the entire world had been duped, confronted the Emperor while her friend, Fire Nation General Kenji Tomohiro, had faced Lord Shang in Wulong Forest. The duels were fierce, but both the Avatar and the General were overpowered by their foes. General Tomohiro was killed, and Korra was forced to retreat after being critically wounded. With the spirits' protector in the mortal world defeated, many of them returned to the Spirit World, and along with Korra, using the last bit of strength that she had, closed the portals to ensure that the Shadowbenders could not use the spirits' powers for their ambitions. The old, broken Avatar returned in shame to the Southern Water Tribe, where a fortnight later, she succumbed to her wounds and even more so, her grief. The mighty Avatar Korra, the five-time savior of our world, was dead._

_Avatar Korra had left behind a world where bending is forbidden to everyone except those in the Imperial Forces. The Empire examines all children born into our era of darkness: those born as benders are seized to be raised as soldiers, whereas nonbending children are conscripted at adulthood. The Empire enslaves the bending population as lifelong soldiers. Parents refusing to surrender their bender children are executed along with their babies. It is a desolate world, but there are those of us who resist. Scattered across the globe is the Restoration, a network of revolutionaries wishing to restore our world to its former glory – I myself am among their leaders._

_Thus far, we are merely insects compared to the tyranny machine of the Empire, but a glimmer of hope keeps us fighting. Many believe that the Bender Genocide had ensured that the Avatar would not be reborn, but our hope would never die. We the Restoration will always hold true to the belief that the Avatar is out there somewhere and would return to restore balance to the world.  
_

_**Avatar: The Journey of Yun** _

_**革命** _

_**Book One: Revolution** _

Chapter One - Hope Rekindled

The freezing winds were biting as the snowflakes flew around them and the powerful winds echoed in a mournful cry. A group of four men, each clad in a white fur-lined jacket, stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking the small coastal city of Tongyeong, a city in the former Earth Federation located in the semi-autonomous peninsular province, the Kingdom of Joseon*. Joseon jutted out in a panhandle from the northeastern Earth Federation and whose main geographical area ran southwards parallel to the contiguous Earth Federation, flanked by Chameleon Bay to the west and the Great Ocean to the east. It was a region that had always prided itself on having a unique culture and even local ethnicity that set them apart from the rest of the former Earth Federation, even being allowed to keep its ancient monarchy.

Tongyeong was a small, but culturally significant city virtually unchanged by time, in stark contrast to the massive, modern, technological megalopolis that was the regional capital of Sapaieo Seongchae* or the tropical island getaway of Bonghwang. Nearly all the buildings were of the ancient, traditional style from the Earth Kingdom days. The only modern style building was the enormous nuclear power plant that could not have been more out of place in this city that was slow to accept change. From the cliffs, the men could see the compound of blocky buildings, barren fields, electrified barbed wire fences, and guard towers of a prison camp only a kilometer away from the city. The camp was brightly lit, and dozens of Imperial military police agents patrolled the grounds, rifles at the ready, to make sure the prisoners did not try to escape. This harsh reminder of the Emperor's ruthlessness was one of the many reasons these men were journeying in search of a new hope. Lucky for them, their five-year search was about to come to an end. Hope would be found just over the cliff.

The shortest one of the group, a Waterbender, urged his ostrich horse forward, and even though the animal's thick fur and feathers provided a natural defense against the elements, one could easily see that it was uncomfortable in the storm. "Are you sure about this place?" he asked. "I'm frankly not in the mood to get into any Imperial entanglements down there if it can be avoided."

The rider in the front, an Earthbender, gave him a reproachful scowl. "This is definitely the place," he assured them. "I can feel it. Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

"Yes!" his three companions shot back in unison.

The Earthbender shook his head in exasperation. "All right, fine, that Zhongjing* thing was a bit of a fiasco!"

"That's putting it mildly," the third rider, a Firebender, grumbled. "Strolling into the capital of the Empire wasn't a very smart move. There was also Yu Dao, where you got us captured by the Empire and had us all standing in front of a firing squad. It's a Spirits-damned miracle that we were rescued." The Earthbender had to grudgingly acknowledge that failure.

"And then there was the time when you got us lost in the desert and led us into that nest of buzzard wasps," the Airbender amended with a dry laugh. "You know you're allergic to their stings." Now that was just hitting below the belt.

"And then there was that screw up in Zaofu, where you-" the Waterbender began, but the Earthbender cut him off.

" _Okay!_ " the Earthbender shouted, making his ostrich horse snort in annoyance. "Fine, I've made some navigational errors - _shut up!_ " he snapped when his companions snickered. "But I am sure of it this time. If not… you may hold it against me."

"If we so much as even get a dirty look from an Imperial soldier, you're dead," said the Waterbender.

Without another word, the four companions rode along the path down the cliff leading to the city below. The blizzard would normally be a deterrent to any traveler but not to him. On the contrary, it gave him more of a drive to press on and nothing, not even an entire division of the Empire's elite Special Forces, would get in his or his companions' way.

* * *

A rapping on the door could only mean one thing to Yong-sun Park at this time of night; he or his wife had somehow offended the Empire. Nodding curtly at his wife, Hye-mi to leave the hallway, he turned on the entryway light and opened the door. To his surprise, these were not military police, but four men in identical white jackets. He surveyed them in bewilderment as to why four regular men - well into their middle ages - were out at all in this weather, let alone at his house.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" Yong-sun asked them.

"Good evening, Mr. Park," the enormous man in the center said, taking Yong-sun aback. How did he know his name? Could these men have been Guoanbu* agents? What would they want with a poor fisherman like him? "We've come on very important business, but it's too dangerous to talk about it here. May we come in?" Blinking in confusion, Yong-sun moved aside to let the men inside, and as custom dictated, they removed their boots.

Yong-sun's home was decent enough for his income. He motioned for them to the comfortable living room where flames crackled merrily in the fireplace. Hye-mi, who had been in there reading a book on a Cabbage tablet computer, looked up with an expression to match her husband's. "Uh, hello. May I take your coats?" The tall man, the apparent leader of the group, waved her down politely when Yong-sun could not hold back anymore.

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" He strode into the living room and sat beside his wife. "Please, have a seat." He nodded at the sofa across from theirs and the four visitors sat down. "I'm Yong-sun Park and this is my wife, Hye-mi."

"Pleased to meet you," his wife said with a cordial bow.

"We are members of the Order of the White Lotus," said the man on the right. Judging by the arrow tattooed on his forehead, this was an Airbending master. Yong-sun and Hye-mi exchanged glances, a feeling of dread coursing through them. "We've been traveling across the land searching far and wide for five years now, and our friend led us here."

"And what are you searching for?" Hye-mi asked cautiously even though Yong-sun had no doubt that she knew their reason for being there. The Water Tribesman leaned forward, looking them directly in the eye.

"We'd like to meet your daughter."

Their worst fears had been confirmed, Yong-sun thought, feeling as though his insides had turned to ice. "W – We don't have a daughter," he stammered. "We never had any children. It was a stillbirth." It was no use. The visitors knew he was lying.

The tall leader of the group stood up, lowering his hood and unzipping his jacket to reveal a blue robe with the White Lotus symbol placed in the center. "My name is Wei Befong," he announced with pride in his green eyes. "I'm humbly asking to meet your child." At loss for words, the couple gaped at the men. Taking his wife's hand in his, Yong-sun nodded and Hye-mi stood up to leave the room.

"Are you… here for what I-" Yong-sun stopped short. He could not bring himself to say the words. His own little girl could not be…

"We'll find out soon, Mr. Park," said Wei grimly

"What makes you think it's her?"

"Your family's history," said Wei. "Your great, great, great grandfather was the one who-"

"Led the regional Earth Kingdom resistance faction against the Fire Nation during the Hundred-Year War," Yong-sun finished. "And was a champion of our fledgling democracy after the war. I know, I was named after him. Coincidentally, he was also married to a woman named Hye-mi."

"Not to mention your great-grandfather and grandfather both fought valiantly in the War of the Earth Republics, all while continuing the fight for the preservation of Joseon's sovereignty. Your father resisted Donghae's lies even when everyone else fed into them, and when the Earth Federation fell under his 'Umbrella of Protection', he fought bravely against Shang's hordes." Pride filled Yong-sun's chest upon reminders of his ancestors, followed by shame that he was not out there doing something for his people. What would his parents say if they could see him hiding now? "You and your brother also fought bravely against them," said Wei. "And that's just the men. Your grandmother served in the Navy as a doctor and went on to be on to serve as Regional Senator, firmly believing in and championing a government of, by, and for the people. She was loyal to the Royal Family, but she and others like her reminded them that they reign at the people's pleasure and true power lies with the elected representatives of the people. Your mother may not have had a political career, but she devoted her entire working life to public service. Your family's always been associated with the Earth people with freedom, justice, peace, and putting the needs of the people before yourselves, especially here in Tongyeong."

"Look, my only concern now is to protect my family," Yong-sun replied. "It's not like we like the Empire, we hate it. Trust me, we hate everything Donghae stands for. I'm ashamed to share the same heritage and culture as that bastard, but what can one man do?" He expected a speech from the White Lotus members about how no acts of resistance were worthless and that it was his duty to fight, but they just gazed at him in understanding.

"Well," said the Waterbender, leaning forward. "Your family's history is one of the reasons we wish to speak to your daughter. Ultimately, it's going to be up to the Av-"

"But did you check Zaofu, Omashu, Sapaieo Seongchae, Ba Sing Se?" Yong-sun sounded so desperate. "Your own family has much more of a history with-"

"We have," said Wei. "Believe me. The doctor who delivered your daughter; he's one of us. You wonder why he didn't accept your bribe to keep his silence, that he seemed too willing not to tell the Empire?"

"Yeah, Dr. Nakamura even showed up at our house a few months later to administer her vaccines. We…" Yong-sun's voice trailed off as footsteps approached the living room. Hye-mi had returned with a little girl in her arms, whose head lay sleepily against her mother's shoulder, Hye-mi cradling the back of her head. She was a tiny little thing with a long, slightly tousled mane of sleek black hair and bright green eyes that matched her mother's. She was clad in a sleeveless green shirt depicting the image of a fire ferret's face. Yong-sun's daughter gazed at the strange men with the same confusion as her parents, giving a light sleepy moan as she snuggled closer to her mother.

Hye-mi kissed the girl on her forehead and ruffled her hair before gently setting her on her feet and she stood leaning back against her. Wei stood up towering over the child, smiling warmly. It was almost laughable how short their daughter was compared to this giant man. She was not even a meter high and barely reached the middle of the Wei's thigh. The girl placed her left fist into her right palm and bowed to him. "Good evening, darling," said Wei quietly, returning the bow. He kneeled in front of her, and even in this position, he towered over the little girl. Now her head barely reached his solar plexus. "My name is Wei Beifong, what's yours?"

Much to Yong-sun's surprise, his daughter returned a sleepy smile, broke from Hye-mi's embrace, and stepped closer to the man as though she had met him many times before. "Good evening, Mr. Beifong," she said fixing her hair as if to make it look more presentable to their guests. "My name's Yun, Yun-hee Park. It's a honor to meet you; we hardly never have guests." Being only five, she could not quite be expected enunciate all her words properly or use proper grammar in her speech.

"Yun?" Wei repeated with a light chuckle. "What a pretty name for a pretty little girl." Yun smiled shyly and bowed low again in gratitude. "Okay, Yun, do you know what the symbol on my robe means?"

Yun's brow furrowed as Yong-sun walked over to his wife to wrap an arm around her. "The White Lotus, but… why are you here?" Yong-sun's heart sank as he absentminded held Hye-mi tighter. They had never told Yun about the White Lotus. They never so much as allowed her to go out into the public. As if reading their minds, Wei spoke again.

"Do you know why your parents never allowed you to leave the house?" he asked, placing his huge hand on her shoulder. Yun bent her head sadly, her curtain of raven hair hiding her face.

"They don't want the Empire to take me away, Mr. Beifong," she mumbled. "I'm a Earthbender, but I don't want to be a soldier! I don't want to go away and have to kill people for that wicked Emperor!" She broke down crying, her shoulders shuddering with each sob. With a commiserating sigh, Wei took her in his arms and rubbed her back. "I... I hate th-the... I hate the Emperor!" she cried into his chest while Yong-sun and Hye-mi could only watch them helplessly. "I hate him! I hate him so much!"

"Shh... I know," Wei whispered, cradling her head to his chest and stroked her hair softly. "We all hate him, sweetie, and that is why we want to talk to you." Yun's cries subsided and she pulled away from Wei, wiping her eyes to rid away the remnants of her tears. "Please, come and let's sit down, this is very important."

Yun sniffled, wordlessly taking Wei by the hand and leading him to the fireplace. "You and your friends should all sit by the fire," she said. "It's awfully cold outside, you all are probably freezing! Did Mommy and Daddy get you tea? I can make some. Or how about some cheongju*? Daddy likes a big glass of cheongju after fishing in the ocean in the winter. You'll get warm right away." Yong-sun could tell his daughter's sweet, sincere concern for their guests was winning all four of them over, especially Wei.

"Thank you, Yun," said Wei smiling as he placed his hand on the side of her face, "but we're fine, and we really shouldn't be drinking something so strong when we have a long journey ahead of us. We will take your offer of sitting by the fireplace though." Once they were both seated, Wei's three companions joined them.

"These are my friends, Jian Han," Wei gestured at a black-haired man with kind golden eyes. "He's a Firebending master, and is the great-great-grandson of the graphic novel writer, Tomoharu*, who was the brother in law of Firelord Zuko the Reformer."

"Mai's little brother, Tom-Tom?" Yun inquired with interest, and Jian nodded. "He was so _cute!_ "

"Oh, you know your history," said Jian. "They only called him Tom-Tom when he was little. When he grew up, everyone called him Tomoharu. He wrote some of the most famous comics and graphic novels, many of which later became animated TV series."

Wei then nodded at the shortest man of the group (though he was still pretty tall), a thin man with a brown complexion, long dark brown hair tied into a wolf tail and a few thin braids. Like most Water Tribesmen, his eyes were a deep blue. Even if the man was old enough to be Yun's grandfather, she found him to be incredibly handsome. "This is Hiroyuki Sato," said Wei and the Waterbender recoiled instantly.

"My name," he said with narrowed eyes, "is Hiro. Only my mother and wife may call me Hiroyuki, and only when they're angry at me." He turned with a mock glare to Yun. "You understand me, kid? My name's Hiro. If you ever call me 'Hiroyuki', I'll Waterbend your butt over the horizon." He winked at Yun who giggled.

"Okay, Mr. Sato," she replied.

"There you go making me feel old, kid," he said in mock offense.

"And lastly," Wei interjected impatiently, "Kunal Patel. He's an Airbending master and our doctor."

The Airbender nodded at Yun with a kind smile. Yun and her parents, however, were still focused on Hiro. "Sato?" said Hye-mi. "Do you mean-"

"Yeah," Hiro confirmed. "Korra and Asami were my grandmothers." He turned to smile kindly at Yun. "And if you're who we think you are, then... well, I hope to get to know you a lot better, little Miss Park."

Yun looked slightly confused as Dr. Patel lowered his hood to fully reveal his arrow tattoo, removed his traveling bag, and placed it in front of Yun.

What are you doing?" said Yong-sun, finally able to speak as the Airbender unzipped the bag.

"A few tests," Dr. Patel replied. "No worries, Mr. Park." How could he tell them not to worry? If Yong-sun was correct, they were about to place an extremely heavy burden on his daughter. Kunal reached into the bag and pulled out three items: a shiny black stone, a plastic flying disc, and a small bottle of water. Yun looked up at him in curiosity. "Now, Yun," said Dr. Patel. "What we're going to do is give you a few simple tests."

She silently stared at Wei who obligingly explained, "First, Yun, I want you to close your eyes and focus on the stone." She shifted her gaze to the beautiful shiny stone and closed her eyes tightly. "Very good, kiddo," Wei praised. "Now I want you to concentrate hard and imagine the stone in your mind. Make sure it's a strong imagination." He waited for a moment. "Are you seeing the stone in your imagination?"

"Yes!" Yun squealed in excitement.

Wei laughed and ruffled her soft hair. "Very good," he praised. Under normal circumstances, Yong-sun and his wife would've been very uncomfortable with a stranger touching their daughter, but somehow, they felt that they could trust these men. Yun somehow seemed as though she felt a connection to the giant Earthbender, and both her parents could feel that this was not simple childhood naïveté, but genuine trust. "Now I want you to put your arms out in front of you and make claws with your fingers like a tigerdillo." She followed Wei's instructions; even making a roar that under other circumstances would make her parents laugh. "Now you're going to have to concentrate very hard," said Wei seriously, "and imagine the stone circling slowly above your head three times. Then imagine it falling gently to the floor."

Scrunching her little face in concentration, Yun stretched out her arms, curling her fingers like claws and raising them above her head. The stone floated above her like a feather, circling three times before it dropped onto her lap. Her eyes shot open and the adults in the room applauded.

"Very good, Yun!" Hye-mi praised, kissing her head. "Your first time Earthbending!"

However, Yun looked uncertain. "But the stone fell."

"It's okay," Wei assured her, patting her back. "You'll get better."

Once the applause died down, Jian made his way to her. "Now, Miss Park, I'd like you to turn to the fireplace and close your eyes again." The room fell silent once again. "I now want you to take some deep breaths. In through your nose," he and Yun inhaled. "And out through your mouth." They both exhaled. "Now, when you breathe, I want you to slowly and gently flap your arms like wings. In... out... in... out..."

The world around Yong-sun seemed to disappear as he could only watch his daughter slowly breathing and flapping her arms. The flames in the fireplace slowly began to rise, and then suddenly, the flames shot up the chimney sending a wave of heat sweeping across the living room. Though she had her back to Yong-sun, he knew Yun's shocked eyes were fixed on the fireplace.

"Did…" Yun said in a barely audible tone. "D-Did I… _Firebend?_ " She looked up at Wei who was now looking at her seriously as he stroked his goatee.

"We must continue," he told her firmly. "Please go to the other side of the room."

With trepidation, Yun ran across the living room in front of her parents who both placed their hands on her shoulders. Kunal bent down and grabbed the disc. "I'm going to throw this to you, little one. I want you to send it back here without touching it! Ready?" She nodded, lifting her left hand in a chopping motion. "One, two, three… _go!_ " He hurled the disc towards the nervous Yun who chopped at the air, sending the disc flying back at the man who deftly caught it.

Nobody applauded this time, only standing there focused on the little girl. Yun slowly made her way back to Wei who grinned approvingly. As if she knew what was next, she sat back on the floor as Hiro kneeled in front of her, opening the water bottle. He tipped the bottle over, spilling some water onto the floor.

"The last thing we want you to do, Yun," said Hiro, "is close your eyes again, put your hands over the water, and pretend you are swimming, but don't touch the water with your hands." This time, she did not even spare him a nod. She only shut her eyes and mimed swimming to the best of her abilities, sending drops of water flying into the furniture. Yong-sun could not even bear to meet his daughter's eyes as she stood up, looking around at each adult in the room.

The members of the White Lotus rose to their feet, standing side by side in front of Yun. "It's our greatest honor to serve you," said Wei as he and his three friends bowed to her, "Avatar Yun." It was only hearing those words that had finally caused something to snap in Yong-sun and Hye-mi.

"Now just a minute, Beifong!" barked Yong-sun. "Yun is only five-years-old! _She's a child!_ "

"You will not use her to fight in your war!" added Hye-mi, striding over to Yun and pulling her daughter to her side protectively. The visitors gave them sympathetic glances that made Yong-sun want to kill them. "Our daughter is an innocent little girl, not cannon fodder for your fruitless rebellion!"

The legendary Beifong temper that Wei had been holding back was finally lost. "Fruitless rebellion?" he repeated, his voice rising with each syllable. "Cannon fodder? Is that what you really think?" Hye-mi opened her mouth to retort, but Wei cut across her, now yelling at the top of his lungs. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE ENTIRE WORLD'S BEEN WAITING, NO, _PRAYING_ FOR THE AVATAR'S RETURN? YOUR DAUGHTER IS OUR ONLY _HOPE_!"

"SO, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO TAKE OUR LITTLE GIRL AWAY REGARDLESS OF OUR APPROVAL?" Hye-mi shrieked back furiously. "WE, HER _PARENTS_ GET NO SAY IN THE MATTER? NO, OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL YOU TAKE MY BABY!"

"Stop it," Yun whimpered quietly, her lips beginning to tremble, shaking in her mother's embrace.

"WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE THEN, MRS. PARK?" Wei retorted, throwing out his arms in rage. "YOU PLAN ON HIDING HER IN THIS HOUSE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE LIKE IT'S STILL THE ERA OF THE HUNDRED-YEAR WAR AND YOU MUST SHAMEFULLY HIDE AND FLAT-OUT DENY THE EXISTENCE OF YOUR CHILD THAT SOCIETY IS SHUNNING IN ORDER TO SAVE FACE?"

Yong-sun was stung by this comment. It was as if the Earthbender had punched him in the face. "How dare you insinuate such a-" said Yong-sun coldly once recovering from the shock, but was cut off by an angry voice.

"STOP IT!" All eyes turned to Yun, angry tears filling her eyes. "Just stop it, all of you!" Yong-sun felt his heart sinking at the sight of his daughter in this state, guilt coursing through his body. "Mommy, Daddy," she said firmly to her parents. "I know you want me to stay home 'cause you love me and you're scared. I'm scared too, but…" Tears began to silently fall down her face as she continued to speak. "But I gotta go with Mr. Beifong and his friends, I just... I gotta. The Emperor can't keep taking bender kids away and grow them up to kill people he hates. He can't keep doing whatever he wants because it is just… it's _wrong!_ I can't let this go on anymore! Emperor Donghae is a monster! He's doing terrible things to the world! If I'm the Avatar, I must stop bad people like him."

Both Yong-sun and Hye-mi dropped to their knees, hugging onto Yun tighter than ever. How could they have been so selfish? Like it or not, they had to let her go. They both knew their daughter was special and sooner than they could have hoped, they found out why. How many more families would have to be broken before Donghae would be satisfied? How many more people would have to die?

"We're going with her," Hye-mi insisted, cradling Yun's head to her side, but knew from the strangers' faces that this was not possible.

"We can't risk that," said Jian. "Traveling in large groups is dangerous and the Empire knows you're here. If you disappeared from your work, they'll suspect rebellion. Who knows what they'll do to Tongyeong if you leave? But, we can arrange for you to see her sometimes. The maximum we can arrange is twice a year for a few weeks each time, but we can't promise anything, Mrs. Park."

"In that case," Yong-sun whispered in defeat, rubbing his daughter's back as his eyes filled with tears. "Let us just have a moment with our little baby girl. Just give us an hour with her, that's all we ask. Just one more hour."

"That's fine."

"Just swear to us one thing, Mr. Beifong," said Hye-mi, tears streaming silently down her beautiful face as she hugged Yun from the side and rested her head on Yong-sun's shoulder as he tried soothing her. "Swear on the graves of your ancestors. Swear to us that you'll always protect our daughter no matter what. Guard her with your life - all the way to end - until she's… ready to face her destiny. Swear that you'll love, raise, and protect Yun the way she should have been from birth; swear to us that you'll always love her and care for her as if she were your own."

"I swear it," said Wei with a firm nod. Turning to Yun, he gently ran his hands down her arms as he continued to speak. "We'll wait here, sweetheart, and I'm very sorry," Wei smoothed back her hair and kissed her forehead, "I hate to have to make you hurry, but we have a very long way to go, and we need to leave under cover of darkness and be far away from any cities, towns, or villages before morning. Take only what you need. We have a coat for you, so you don't need to worry about that, and we have food and water for three days."

"Okay," said Yun, leaning against her mother's shoulder as she picked her up. Hye-mi cradled the back of her head as Yong-sun gently ran his hand across her cheek. "I'll be ready to go soon."

Wei nodded as Yun and her parents out of the living room, breaking down in tears once again. Another family was broken by the Empire, the White Lotus members bitterly thought.

* * *

Yun had always loved the snow. It was almost magical the way the snowflakes would fly around and then cover the world in a pure white sheet. She rode dressed in a heavy white winter jacket with Mr. Beifong on his ostrich horse, watching the whitened landscape in a fascination one could only find in a child. It was only after she left home and they had made it into the wilderness that she realized that this man was the grandson of Bolin and Opal and… _wow! By the Spirits!_ He was the great- _great_ -grandson of her favorite Earthbender in the world, Toph Beifong! As soon as Mommy and Daddy told her that she was an Earthbender, she wanted to be like the powerful hero from her bedtime stories. Little Yun swore to herself at that moment that she would be like Toph one day. She would be the greatest Earthbender of all time and she would make sure that the evil Emperor would pay for everything he did to the world. He would pay for all the people he had killed, for all the benders he was using as slaves so he could control the world. Even if Yun would have to kill him herself, he would pay big time!

"Where are we going, Mr. Beifong?" Yun asked, lowering her hood so she could feel the cold yet refreshing wind on her face, her long black hair flying behind her.

"We're going to a faraway place where benders like you and me can live and practice our bending safely, my little snow flower," said Mr. Beifong, wrapping his arms tightly around her torso as she opened her mouth to catch snowflakes on her tongue. Now that was an odd nickname, Yun thought. It was odd, but she really liked it. "It's time for you to take the first step in becoming the Avatar. I'm going to teach you Earthbending."

Yun sprang around, her face lighting up excitedly. "You are?" A _Beifong_ was going to be her Earthbending master? She would be a great Earthbender like Toph; she could hardly believe it!

"Absolutely," he confirmed and pressed his thumb on the tip her nose affectionately. "Then you'll learn fire, then air, and then water."

"And then will I have to fight the Emperor?" Yun asked excitedly as she stroked the side of the ostrich horse's neck.

"War is not fun and games, little one," Dr. Patel said with a grimace and Yun gave him an offended scowl as he continued to speak. "It's a very terrible thing and has to be taken very seriously. I hope the Emperor falls before you have to experience war."

"I know it's not fun and games!" she yelled. "I am taking it seriously! I just want to make everything back to good again, Doctor, I'm the Avatar..." Yun's voice trailed sadly as she turned to face forward, continuing to stroke the ostrich horse's neck.

"Hey," Mr. Beifong replied, once again stroking her hair. "I'm going to train you hard, just like my Great Grandma Su trained me, but I still want you to be a regular kid. There are other children there and you will have the chance to make friends and play."

"Okay," said Yun, not sure what to think.

"But make no mistake, my little snow flower," Mr. Beifong laughed. "I'm a very, very, very, very, very tough master. Even though I want you to play and have fun, I still expect you to practice hard, focus on your Earthbending, and listen to everything I teach you because as my friend here said, war has to be taken very seriously. We want our Avatar to be strong and ready when the time comes."

"Okay," Yun replied, fully intending to listen to everything Mr. Beifong told her. "Dr. Patel, Mr. Han, Mr. Sato?" The other men turned to her smiling. "Are you going to teach me Airbending, Firebending, and Waterbending?" The three men laughed good-naturedly. Despite Yun being a little annoyed that Dr. Patel did not think she understood war, she still liked him, Mr. Beifong, Mr. Sato, and Mr. Han. All these White Lotus men were very nice to her.

"No, little one," said Dr. Patel. "As the Avatar, only the best of the best masters should teach you. I am not worthy enough to teach the Avatar."

"When you turn sixteen," Mr. Han added, "you will be a full-grown woman and you'll begin your journey to learn the other elements. I believe nobody should teach you Firebending, your next element, but the Crimson Dragon - ah, he's not an actual dragon, sweetheart," he clarified upon seeing the excited look on Yun's face. She responded with a slightly disappointed sigh. "However, he's the leader of the Restoration and the best damn Firebender to ever live after the great Firelord Shinji the Enlightened thousands of years ago. He wants all the nations of the world to be free and independent, and I know he's going to be very happy to have you fighting for the Restoration."

"The Restoration?" Yun repeated, confused.

"It's a network of people who want what you want," Mr. Sato replied, as Mr. Beifong continued to hold her tightly with his arm. "We want to restore peace and balance to the world. We want families to stay together. We want nobody to live in fear of any government or anybody else who would take away the fundamental freedoms and human rights from others. People should not be afraid of their governments; governments should be afraid of their people. In order to do this, we must defeat the Empire, but all in good time, sweetie." Yun let out a yawn as he spoke. "I will teach you Waterbending when you're ready. I need to return to headquarters since I'm one of the Restoration's leaders, so after we get you safely to the valley, I'll be leaving."

"Oh," Yun responded sadly. "Before you go, can you tell me a little bit about Avatar Korra, please?"

Mr. Sato looked at her for a moment and then laughed. "Sure thing, gran-gran."

Yun's jaw dropped. "I'm only five! How can I be your gran-gran?"

"You were in your last life," laughed Mr. Sato, winking at her and making her giggle.

"He can tell you all you want about Korra in good time, my little snow flower," said Mr. Beifong smoothing her hair. "But now, my young pupil, your first assignment is to call me 'Master Wei' from now on and your second is to get some sleep. We've got a long way to go, so I want you to be strong for tomorrow. I'll tell you what, if you get a good night's sleep, we'll begin learning Earthbending after breakfast tomorrow; you have my word, and a Beifong never breaks his word."

That was an exciting idea, but Yun was way too sleepy to really think about anything else. "Okay, Master Wei," she murmured, put her hood back on, and settled her head into his stomach. Master Wei held her tightly with his strong arm the same way her parents did when she was scared or sad. It made Yun sad thinking about how she would have to leave Mommy and Daddy, so as if to remind herself of their comforting hugs and kisses, she began to softly sing Daddy's favorite song, Arirang*, one of the most popular songs of Joseon. He was very proud of the old Earth Federation - especially the Kingdom of Joseon - and the history of their country before the evil Emperor took over, thus he and Mommy would always sing what they called "folk songs" about it before bedtime. Daddy often told Yun about the history of their country all the way back to before Avatar Kyoshi, and learning about how great the land was had made Yun love her country - especially Joseon - as much as her parents did. She would free her beloved Earth Federation as well as every other nation the Empire took over!

Too sleepy to keep singing, Yun let out a yawn as Master Wei continued the song quietly. She was soon lulled to sleep just as Master Wei placed a kiss on her forehead. The hours passed on, darkness giving way to light seeping through the cracks in the clouds as the five travelers pressed on.

* The Joseon Peninsula is clearly supposed to be Korea with its own distinct culture set apart from the rest of the Earth peoples.

* Sapaieo Seongchae translates to Sapphire Citadel.

* Republic City's new name after it was rebuilt. It's Mandarin for "Central Capital". Obviously taken from Beijing (Northern Capital) and Nanjing (Southern Capital). It can't be called "Republic City" anymore because the "Republic" part of the United Republic of Nations has been changed to "Empire" and to be perfectly honest, "Empire City" sounds kinda dumb. Sorghum wine, really strong stuff.

*Arirang is a Korean folk song, which was featured partially in the Great Divide.

* Guoanbu is an abbreviation of Gònghéguó Guójiā Ānquánbù, the Chinese Ministry of State Security or to put it bluntly, the secret police agency.

*Cheongju is rice wine, a Korean version of sake.


	2. The Valley of the Fallen Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost eleven years had passed since Yun had left home with her new Earthbending master, and is on the verge of coming of age. In this chapter, we meet her best friend, Akira Tomohiro, another kid brought there at a very young age. While a non-bender, his family history makes him a marked man in the Empire's eyes. While it's clear that they have more than friendly feelings for each other, they choose not to act on them in order to protect their friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should inform you, fellow Avatards, that I had originally planned a major fanfic saga. I was going to start with a novelization of Avatar, then have a Korean War-like situation like I described in the previous chapter, and then the rise of the Shadowbenders. All of these would have involved Aang. Then LOK came along. While I loved the show and the character, I didn't bond with them enough to write fanfiction about them, so this is all that's left of the saga I planned. XD

_**Avatar: The Journey of Yun** _

_**革命** _

_**Book One: Revolution** _

  
  
Chapter Two – The Valley of the Fallen Star

Huoxing Valley, nicknamed the Valley of the Fallen Star thousands of years ago because of an asteroid crashing there, was a breathtaking natural wonder in the southern regions of the former United Earth Federation. The name was obviously a misnomer as science was unknown to those of ancient civilizations. However, to rename it now would have been as unforgivable as renaming Omashu or Ba Sing Se. Not even Emperor Donghae himself would dare to try that.

The land was fertile with rolling green hills, and a vast crater lake fed by a thundering waterfall. The lake led to a river that flowed gently into the cliffs. Steep granite cliffs surrounded the valley on all sides, shielding it from the view of anyone who did not make a point to look for it. This was a natural self-sustaining fortress, and what better place could one think of for children in hiding to grow up?

This was where Yun had lived since the tender age of five. It took them three days to ride on their ostrich horses from Tongyeong to the city of Pyeongsu, where they'd met a Restoration contact who had provided the five of them with fake passports and ID's. If Imperial military police would question them as to why four clearly unrelated middle-aged men were traveling alone with a little girl, Master Wei would respond that Yun was his niece, and that he and his old friends from the Army were taking her on a camping trip to teach her survival skills. It wasn't a total lie, as Master Wei did serve in the Army of the United Republic with General Sato as his commanding officer. It was 'General', not 'Mister'. Master Wei was also a General. Jian Han was a 'Colonel' and Dr. Patel was a 'Lieutenant Colonel', but he preferred to be called 'Doctor'. Finally, they were able to buy a used, but reliable van for much of the journey. Most of the time, they camped out in the wilderness, only staying in towns when they needed to resupply. Most of the time, only two of the travelers would go into towns, as it was not safe to travel in big groups.

In that time, Yun had learned the basics of how to hunt and gather food in the wild as well as other survival techniques like telling the difference between good mushrooms and poison ones. Master Wei, keeping his promise, had begun teaching her Earthbending. She absolutely loved Master Wei; he was so strong, so strict, so brave, but also very kind, caring, and understanding. When it came to training, he was very hard, yet wise and patient with how he taught Yun. She loved her Earthbending lessons and learned right away that she should not see the rocks and ground as friends, but as bullies who thought they could get their way with her. Like all bullies, they easily sensed weakness and fear. "Therefore, my little snow flower," Master Wei told her in her first lesson, "as Earthbenders, we must teach these bullies a lesson in respect and show them who's really in charge here. They want to get tough with you, so you'll show them who the real tough guy - or girl in your case - is!" She giggled at his serious joke. "They may be heavier, but with a strong enough will and connection to the earth, you could even lift the highest mountains in the world, even the Eight Sacred Mountains of the Earth Nation, which includes Mt. Tianzhu near the Eastern Air Temple and even Mt. Dangun overlooking Sapaieo Seongchae."

At this, Yun looked at Master Wei incredulously. "We can't do that!" she exclaimed. "Mt. Dangun is holy! We can't even _climb_ it, let alone bend it! It belongs to the Spirits!" Master Wei made to speak, but Yun wasn't finished. "And Airbenders live on Mt. Tianzhu, we can't do that to their home!" To her shock, he just laughed.

"I said you _could_ have the power to lift those mountains I didn't say we will have you _use_ that power." Yun breathed a sigh of relief. "All right, sweetie, let's continue our training." Since then, Earthbending came quite naturally to her.

Master Wei was more than just a teacher to her. He had kept his promise to her parents to take care of her, making sure she slept well, ate decent meals, and kept warm at night. Most of all, Yun felt safe and cared for with him. He always seemed to understand her, be patient with her, and when she was scared or upset, he was there to comfort her. He never had children, but it seemed to Yun like he was almost meant to be _her_ father, if only a surrogate father figure. Sometimes, she would have terrible nightmares about her parents and the Empire doing terrible things that were too scary to even talk about. What was even more scary was that the Emperor was worse in real life than in dreams. Yun would wake up in tears, but Master Wei would simply hold her tightly in his arms, rock her gently while reassuring her that her parents are safe, and stroke her hair until she fell asleep in his embrace.

Another time, the reality of Yun's situation had hit her. She had left Mommy and Daddy forever. She would hardly ever get to see them again until she'd defeat the Emperor, and learning to be the Avatar would take many, many years of hard work. It was even more sad when Mommy told her that she would have a baby brother in a little less than seven months. Even little Yun knew that her job as the Avatar was way more important than playing with and taking care of baby Geon-tae (or just Geon for short). She knew that she would be very busy learning the four elements and helping the Restoration to take down the Empire, but it was still heartbreaking that she would never get to see her little brother as a baby or maybe just once if she was lucky. Seeing how deeply upset she was, Wei took her into his arms and told her, "You are a very brave little girl choosing to leave your home with us, my little snow flower. I know you miss your parents and they miss you too, but they're very proud of you."

Tears filling her eyes, Yun buried her head into Wei's strong shoulder with an involuntary whimper. "And when your brother will get a bit older, he will brag to all his friends that his big sister was brave and selfless enough to sacrifice her own happiness to bring peace to the world; his dear, sweet, brave older sister, Avatar Yun-Hee Park. He may not get to see you every day, but when he does, it'll be the happiest time in his life." Master Wei was right, Yun thought as she cuddled closer to him. She would make her family proud by being the best Avatar she could be, and not just her parents, but all her brave ancestors who fought and sometimes died for the freedom of her nation. She would also make all the Avatars before her from Korra, to Aang, to Roku, to Kyoshi, and every Avatar to the very beginning proud. She would beat the Shadowbenders and end this terrible war forever. "As for me, sweetheart," said Wei, gently touching her face, "I won't be able to be a substitute for your mommy and daddy, but I think this is going to be the start of a new life for both of us. It's a new beginning that I want to face together with you."

Still sitting there with her head resting comfortably against his shoulder, Yun wasn't sure of how to respond. "I want you to live with me," he continued, caressing her hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other, "to be part of my home. I will always love you no matter what you grow up to be. You will always have a safe, loving, caring home with me where you can always be your true self and never have to hide again. You understand me? No matter what happens in the coming years, no matter how terrible things may become, I will always be there to love, raise, and protect you." Yun's deep brown eyes filled with tears as she felt a smile tugging at her lips. She pulled away slightly to kiss her teacher's cheek and placed her head back on his shoulder, falling asleep almost instantly.

Over the rest of the journey to the valley, they had grown even closer. However, Yun couldn't call him "Daddy" or "Uncle Wei", as he was not _really_ part of her family, so she used "Master Wei" more as a form of affection than what a student would normally call her teacher. He would also play with her, tell her stories (some real, some not) or sing to her at night. It felt to her that he had become something like family.

Yun also liked the other White Lotus men very much, but they were more like friends in her eyes. Dr. Patel behaved very much like she would expect a doctor to behave. He made sure she dressed warmly, ate healthy, and did not, in his own words, overexert herself, whatever that meant. She guessed that meant not working too hard while practicing. Colonel Han had revealed to Yun that she almost reminded him of his daughter when she was a child. He didn't know where she was right now, but he did know that she and her husband were fighting the Empire too. General Sato was the most easy-going of the bunch. As a joke, he continued calling Yun "Gran-Gran" and also told her many stories about Avatar Korra and her friends. The stories were happy, sad, scary, and even romantic at times. Master Wei told her stories as well, but Yun had a funny feeling that he really didn't like talking about his past, especially about the war. Joking in return, Yun began calling General Sato a young whippersnapper, talking like an old lady.

At long last, after weeks of traveling, their journey had taken them somewhere a bit warmer than Tongyeong, as there was no snow or ice on the ground. They had gone deep into the jungle until they were found by strangely dressed warriors carrying spears and bows and arrows, speaking another language to each other that was very different from all the others in the world. It was pretty scary when they ambushed them, but the warriors spoke the regular language (though not very well) and even bowed to Yun once finding out she was the Avatar. They also seemed the recognize Master Wei and escorted them to the Valley of the Fallen Star as they called it. As they approached, they ran across warriors in modern camouflage uniforms and armor, who Yun correctly guessed were Restoration soldiers. The non-benders were carrying guns of different sizes as they led them further into the woods. The benders wore the same uniforms and body armor, but carried no guns, though some did carry weapons like swords and spears. After walking for a long time, mostly off the path, the travelers had arrived at the edge of a high cliff overlooking the beautiful valley. It was then that Yun knew that they were finally safe.

Almost eleven years had passed since that fateful winter's night when Yun had to leave home with Master Wei. No longer was she the vulnerable little girl that the White Lotus had rescued from a life of confinement because of a government that would have killed her and her family without any hesitation. No, now she had grown into a strong young woman just two days away from coming of age –sixteen years – and had become a powerful Earthbender under the relentless tutelage of her master. She now had a petite and slender yet toned figure, though Master Wei still dwarfed her by nearly a meter. Her lustrous raven hair fell gracefully down her back, now reaching her hips and gleamed in the sunlight. Yun generally let her hair fall loose around her shoulders, but for training or any kind of physical activity, she tied it in a high ponytail to keep it from getting windblown.

"Let's try this one more time!" Yun raised her head slowly in frustration at Master Wei, pushing a wayward strand of hair away from her sweaty face. While she loved the old man like a father – possibly even more than her real father – she could not deny that he could be a monumental pain in the ass true to the Beifong name when it came to training.

"Can't we take a break, Master Wei?" Yun protested as she massaged her aching shoulders. After perfecting regular Earth, Sand, and Lavabending, Master Wei had her move on to Metalbending. While she did manage to bend it by hand, doing so without touching the object was much more difficult. Looking wearily at the busted, ancient car in front of her, she added, "I'm getting hungry."

Yun's innocent smile had no effect on Master Wei who stood there scowling. "You had your chow this morning and a very liberal amount," he said sternly. "And don't even try that wide-eyed little girl look on me, it hasn't worked for years. Now spare me the drama, get your skinny ass squared away, and assume your stance, Yun!" She groaned in response and shifted her body into a horse stance, applying pressure to her feet to better feel the earth. "You shouldn't have any problems with this, it's made of raw steel."

Gritting her teeth, Yun cupped her hands and stomped on the grass. _Okay, Yun,_ she thought, y _ou can do this._ Determined to only focus on the minerals in the car, she bent down. As if lifting a heavy weight – an action that would have been hundreds of times easier – she straightened her body and was surprised to see the car beginning to hover above the ground. "I'm doing it!" she exclaimed, the car rising several meters above them. "Master Wei, I'm doing it, I can't believe it!"

"Not bad, kiddo," said Master Wei with an approving nod. "Now let's see how you handle this!" Before Yun knew what was happening, her master executed a roundhouse kick, sending a clump of soil flying at her, making her instinctively jump to the side and the car began to drop. "Don't let it fall!" Master Wei instructed sharply. Yun was barely able to keep the heavy vehicle in the air. She gasped as a rock was hurled at her. However, she managed to keep the car stable in the air, leaping out of the way. "All right, that's enough!" To Yun's ire, he scowled at her. "Your performance today is _unsat_!" He just loved to use that term when he was displeased with Yun in some way, and he knew it annoyed her when he used it.

"What did I do wrong?" she said in a voice she hoped was not disrespectful.

"Oh, nothing at all," Master Wei replied shaking his head. "I was just under the impression you're learning Earthbending, not Airbending." His eyebrows contracted as he continued to stare her down. "What's this avoiding and evading?" His voice rose with each syllable. "Stand your ground like any respectable Earthbender, and take control of your situation!" Yun had to admit that he was right. Since she had begun her training, Master Wei always emphasized that the most important rule of Earthbending was that the bender did not adapt to the earth, but the earth adapted to the bender.

"Let's try that again!" On cue, he raised both his arms and a crack from the cliffs echoed in the valley as a granite boulder twice his size tore away from the side of the cliff. With a furious roar, Master Wei launched his fists towards Yun and the boulder flew swiftly at her. Yun kept her left hand raised and holding up the car, getting an idea. With her right, she slammed her fist into the boulder sending razor-sharp shards of rock and a cloud of dust flying around them both.

Silence took over the field for a few brief seconds before Yun heard a slow, dramatic clap. "Outstanding!" Master Wei exclaimed, his grinning face visible through the clearing dust. "A bit off at first, but you got your shit together in the end as usual." Yun tried to smile in return but could only manage a pained grimace as her aching arm began trembling. "Oh, you can put that down now," added Master Wei as an afterthought. With a relieved sigh, Yun dropped her arms and the car plunged to the ground with a resounding crash, the windows shattering from the impact.

The smile immediately vanished from Master Wei's face as he approached Yun who began to feel apprehensive seeing her master shifting his gaze from the old car to her. "That was a first edition Satomobile!" he said exasperatedly. "Oh, that's right, just drop the valuable antique car on the ground like a piece of scrap metal! It's not like it was valuable or anything!"

Yun's jaw dropped in outrage when she surveyed the wreckage. "Valuable antique?" she repeated, glaring at Master Wei. "That 'collector's item' of yours was rusting away out here anyway! It's already scrap metal; if you really thought it was so valuable, you'd keep it inside and preserve it, not use it for Metalbending training!"

"Oh, a smartass, aren't we?" he retorted and ran a hand through his gray hair. "We'll see about that, young lady!" Yun had a pretty good idea of what was coming next and braced herself. "You're going to run me five miles on an earth wave starting now! Move it!"

Grunting in exasperation, she stomped on the ground to cause a light quaking beneath her. Suddenly, the ground began forming a hill that rose several feet above her Master who watched her unimpressed. With that, Yun began running in place atop the hill, letting the earth carry her along the field.

It was as if all the frustrations of Yun's Metalbending training had melted away. Now she truly felt at home with basic, genuine Earthbending. She did not know how long she had been riding her wave, but she eventually came to the vast, dense forest of the valley with tall trees and vines shading her from the blazing sun. She reached up to untie her hair, letting the wind blow through it as she sped up her pace.

It was then that Yun began to feel a strange presence in the atmosphere as though she was not alone. Granted, there were always animals running or flying around the valley, but that would not bother her. No, this was definitely a human presence. Stopping in her tracks, the earth beneath Yun flattened as she stomped the ground to send a seismic wave around her. Nothing… that was weird, her feelings were usually right.

Shrugging, Yun prepared to start running again when her attention was drawn to a swishing noise – a blade being unsheathed from somewhere above her. "Show yourself!" Yun shouted, launching a rock into one of the trees. Almost immediately, a figure in black flipped from the branches, landing gracefully on one knee in front of her with a katana in hand.

Her hooded attacker rose to his feet, the hilt of his weapon clutched tightly in his hands. Yun had only a brief moment to take in his appearance. He was clad almost entirely in black, save for his red t-shirt bearing the Blue and Red Dragons of the Fire Nation. Most peculiar was that he kept his lean muscular right arm out of his jacket sleeve, indicating his status as a Ronin, or a Samurai without a master.

With a furious roar, the man raised his sword as he charged at Yun. Immediately, she clawed her fingers, the ground on either side merging to form two boulders, which she sent at the man. Yun did not expect these blows to land, and her attacker easily dodged them as he advanced towards her. Panting, Yun thrust out her palm, the earth sending out a stalagmite that just barely avoided impaling the Samurai.

Though his face was hidden, Yun could sense the smirk on his face as he sliced through her earth column. Panting, she dashed off the path to a denser part of the woods as the Samurai sliced through the bamboo. Yun glared at the man, hissing, "Dodge this one!" Taking advantage of the situation, Yun stomped her foot on the sloping ground, a fissure advancing towards her enemy who swung out of the way.

"Too easy," he countered in his low, slightly raspy voice and gave a dry laugh. He stepped aside in an almost bored manner as Yun tried striking him from behind with a rock. "How predictable…" he shook his head sympathetically. "But now it's time to get serious."

Without waiting for a response, he charged at Yun who could only think of one thing to do. She crossed her arms in front of her and the ground immediately softened as she sunk into the earth's crust, leaving the Samurai both impressed and confused. Before he could make head or tails of what was happening, Yun burst out of the ground sending a cloud of dust into the air surrounding them both.

He could not see; Yun now had the upper hand. She immediately began executing a series of Earthbending forms sending rocks and earth flying relentlessly at her foe, who had barely managed to parry them with his blade. Yun continued her assault as the roar of the waterfall began growing louder, which meant they were approaching the lake.

The two fighters were finally out of the woods and on the lakeshore where the sun reflected off the water. However, all Yun could focus on was the Samurai who was regaining his earlier momentum. He twisted and ducked out of the way of every rock and manipulation of the ground around her. It was time for some drastic measures.

Yun closed her eyes for a brief moment and drew in a breath before executing a deft jab to fire a large flaming orb at the Samurai and another one to follow afterward. Though she was by no means a decent Firebender yet, she did have some practice in the other elements. The only one that Yun was unable to bend was water.

"A little off our game, aren't we, Avatar?" the Samurai commented, finally reaching her. Before Yun could even react, she found herself swept off her feet and landing roughly on the ground. The man stood over her, raising his sword above his head and swiftly sliced downwards towards her neck. Yun, with her eyes tightly closed, clenched her fist, and heard a surprised exclamation of, "Shit!" She shuddered as she felt the flat end of the blade fall harmlessly onto her chest.

Yun shifted her gaze to see the young man buried up to his neck into the ground, the hood of his jacket fallen off his head from the impact. His short black hair was styled into a mess of spikes and he had a lean, chiseled face with stubble, and piercing golden eyes. While Yun lay there catching her breath, the Samurai just laughed coolly. That was enough for her.

Pushing herself to her feet, she strode over to the man furiously. "What the fuck, Akira? Are you nuts?" She hated when her friend messed with her like that. Being raised by a Beifong for almost eleven years had had quite an effect on Yun's language. Granted, she did not swear as much as Master Wei, but when angry, she was capable of dishing out more than a few expletives.

Much to her annoyance, Akira laughed again. "The 'fuck', as you put it, is called an ambush; it's training. Now, could you get me out of here?" Snarling in frustration, Yun launched him out of the ground and face first into the cool lake. Akira resurfaced with a lopsided grin as he swam back to shore and shook the water out of his hair like a dog.

"Nice work," said Akira, patting a still glaring Yun on the head, an action that made Yun immediately forget her frustrations.

"You could've told me you wanted to train with me today," she said rolling her eyes and plopped down against a large boulder by the lake where he soon joined her. Her statement was only made out of frustration. Akira Tomohiro always did have his own way when it came to combat training, she marveled as she untied her hair.

Yun and Akira had been close friends since she arrived at the Huoxing Valley almost eleven years ago. Although he was a Nonbender, his family were known enemies of the Empire ever since the Dark Lord Shang had killed his father, just as Avatar Korra dueled the Emperor sixteen years ago. Yes, as Yun had anticipated even as a little girl, the hopes of Dr. Patel - the local Restoration medical officer – that the Empire would fall were in vain; it was as powerful as ever. However, Akira was always so strong and sure, thus he took Yun under his wing. Being torn away from their families at very young ages was something both Akira and Yun had in common, so that strengthened their friendship.

With a heavy sigh, Yun slumped backward to lay on the grass, the sun reflecting in her raven hair that spilled out behind her. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face as she sensed Akira following suit. "You're an ass, Akira," she whispered, unable to conceal a smirk.

"Well," he countered, sheathing his sword and frowned, clearly not finding her joke funny in the slightest. "Suppose this wasn't our safe, pleasant little valley, which we grew up in as kids, but a war zone. You're on patrol in the mountains, or a forest, or in a city and you sense the enemy just as you sensed me in the trees." Yun could only listen as Akira was also preparing for the inevitable time when they would go off to war. "Only instead of one man with a sword," he continued, "it's a dozen Imperial troops armed with machine guns, assault rifles, and RPGs. They start firing on you, giving you no time to react. Will you complain to them that they never told you their positions? No, you'll just be dead because you didn't act fast enough when you could've turned those weapons to scrap with your Metalbending before they could fire a single round." He shifted his gaze to Yun, placing his hand on top of hers, sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine. "Not even Toph herself would've been able to stop ammo from automatic weapons."

"I hate when you're right," said Yun in resignation, rubbing her feet along the soft grass.

"Which is always?" Akira deadpanned with his usual half grin.

"Oh, shut up." She tapped the ground with palm, causing a slight quake beneath Akira. Now this was Earthbending, she thought to herself again. Perhaps it was due to being cooped up in a house for the first five years of her life, but Yun had always enjoyed being outdoors, barefoot and able to connect with the earth. She even enjoyed sleeping under the stars in clear weather. Many times, as a kid, Master Wei had to put his foot down, insisting that she and Akira could not sleep outside because it could potentially get too cold at night during the winter months. It was much warmer there than in Tongyeong, but it was hardly a Fire Nation island.

"You nervous about tomorrow?" inquired Akira breaking the silence.

Yun clicked her tongue and grimaced as she answered, "A little… a lot, actually." Master Wei was going to give her a final test in Earthbending tomorrow at daybreak. They were going to traverse a massive cavern without any safety equipment or sources of light. She would have to rely entirely on her Earthbending to reach her goal. Aside from being a location of natural wonder and beauty providing a natural fortress of a refuge, the valley was home to a cave system where an Earthbending spirit resided. The only Avatars required to face his judgment (according to tradition), were natural born Earthbenders. Since Yun was the first Earthbending Avatar since Kyoshi, she could not disobey the precepts.

"You'll do fine," said Akira with an encouraging smile as he ran his hand down her arm. "I believe in you; we all do."

Yun smiled in gratitude, placing her hand on top of his arm. Akira always had a way of encouraging her, of getting Yun to trust in herself. "I do wonder how my predecessors felt when they started out like this… not counting Wan."

"Well," Akira mused, "I'm sure you've been studying them more than me, but from what I gather, Kuruk was a bit full of himself, so he was probably very confident in his abilities even if his heart was in the right place."

"Talk about a sad story," Yun agreed. He may have been lazy and inattentive, but he was not a bad man. His wife certainly did not deserve that terrible fate. "While Kyoshi was a great Avatar," Yun decided on changing the subject, "she obsessed over her duties." Akira looked at her confused. "I think it overwhelmed her and that was why she made some of her more… controversial decisions like the creation of the Dai Li.

"Roku was a noble guy. He gave everybody a fair chance; he saw people as inherently good."

"Reminds me of someone I know," said Akira, making Yun blush. "Most people deserve the benefit of the doubt, but others are rotten from the start, like a certain fuckwad who I still say you should've let me-"

Yun snapped, "I don't want to talk about _him_ , and don't ever dishonor Roku's memory by using his name in the same sentence as that lying, cheating son of a..." It was then that Yun realized something. "Wow, I'll be the first Avatar since Roku to take the journey and learn the elements properly!" At least she wasn't on a deadline, though she wanted to take down the Empire sooner rather than later.

"Yeah…" said Akira slowly. "You've lucked out with that. The universe wasn't exactly on Aang's side, though he'd probably be my favorite historic Avatar. I can't think of anybody who can think back to history lessons and say they don't like Aang, but the universe had a way of sideswiping him."

"Aang was a great Avatar and a great man," said Yun. "But what do you mean?" she exclaimed, her brow furrowing. "The universe seemed to work to Aang's advantage!"

Akira looked at her incredulously and began a finger count. "He was only twelve when Sozin was preparing to launch his takeover campaign and the pressures of being the Avatar were so great that he ran away and got trapped in an iceberg for a century. And before you tell me that you were five when you found out, both you and Korra had the advantage of learning about Aang." Yun closed her mouth and continued to listen.

"When Katara and Sokka found him, he finds out that not only had Sozin started the war the monks told him about, but that it's been going on for a hundred years. After that, he learns that all his people were wiped out. Then he learns that he has until the end of the summer to defeat Ozai. Along the way, he nearly gets killed by that sociopath, Azula who finds out about the eclipse plan; the entire invasion goes to shit, and they barely escape with their lives-"

"But he always managed to find ways around all his obstacles," Yun cut in as she stretched out her legs to dip her toes into the cool water. "Got captured by Zhao? Blue Spirit 'saves' him. Bumi can't teach him Earthbending? Well, the universe literally gives him a vision of the one who could. Azula fatally wounds him, and just on the brink of death, Katara saves him with the Spirit Water she happened to save for months. The Day of Black Sun goes to shit; the entire fate of the war now rests solely on a bunch of kids. And who appears to help them? Zuko; the one they thought to be their enemy. Aang's feeling conflicted about killing Ozai? Well, when all hope seems lost, he just happens to sleepwalk and swim onto a lion turtle that just happens to have the solution."

Akira blinked slowly and laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Things did go his way, unlike Korra." He shook his head sadly.

At this, Yun's head twitched irritably. "You know, I think history's really unfair to Korra, thanks to that TV series by Varrick Studios, as much as I love it! Think about it; she spent her entire childhood getting it drilled into her head that she was the Avatar. That became her life. Being the Avatar was her everything." Yun breathed deeply to compose herself. "At least I was able to grow up here as normally as possible. Korra was always living under the shadow of her identity and was determined to live up to her predecessors, especially Aang who most of the prominent middle-aged adults of her time met if not knew personally. You know, I suspect Korra told the White Lotus before she died to not make the same mistakes as they did with her when they'd find me."

"You're saying she was a mass of complexes?" Akira demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Yun assured him. "Well, maybe at first, but either way, she lived up to her title and was true to her friends and family. She didn't lack any more oversight with Donghae than Roku did with Sozin."

Akira sat up and turned his firm expression to her. "Well, at least with the Emperor, it's been sixteen years, not a hundred. We'll take him and all his henchmen down one by one if they refuse to surrender."

"When we do eventually encounter Lord Shang…" Yun's voice trailed off. That had been a subject Akira had only brought up once when they were kids and they never spoke of it again until now. His face darkened at the name.

"My answer now is the same as it was when I was twelve," Akira replied, his voice suddenly cold. "When I meet Shang, I'll challenge him and before I take him out, I'll tell him that it is for my father, Kenji!" His expression softened as he turned to the water. "You talk to Korra since that one time?"

"No," said Yun sadly, sitting up, and edging closer to Akira. "I really should. Could use her advice now."

* * *

_Huoxing Valley was the most beautiful place Yun had ever seen, even more than some places in her picture books. It had been a week since Master Wei and his friends brought her here, and she was still awed by its wonders that were as seemingly endless as the valley itself. Colonel Han and General Sato both went back to the Restoration Headquarters to tell the Crimson Dragon that they had found the Avatar, and to continue the fight against the Empire. Master Wei and Dr. Patel had both lived here in the beautiful valley._

_Yun loved the rolling fields, the vast forest, the high cliffs, the thundering waterfall cascading into the big lake, the river flowing down the middle of the valley through the fields and the forest… she wanted to stay there forever. Maybe when she grew up and beat the Emperor, she would get married to a nice man, have kids, and build a nice house right on the island in the middle of the lake. Someday when there would be peace in the world, Yun would stay in this gorgeous land for her entire life._

_The nighttime was just as beautiful as the daytime. Even though it was winter, it was still nice and warm here compared to Tongyeong. After begging Master Wei if she could sleep outside, he laughed and said it was okay as long as he was with her, that she dressed warmly, and that she would sleep in an earth tent._

_Master Wei was asleep in his earth tent while Yun stayed in another tent with her new friend, Akira Tomohiro, a little boy two years older than Yun with bright golden eyes and black hair styled in the shape of a bowl. Akira was nice, but very quiet most of the time. Despite that, Yun sensed a lot of strength and determination in him. Yun didn't like it when her other friends like Nanuk the Waterbender, Minh the Firebender, or Chen, another Earthbender would pester him to play sports when he obviously wanted to be alone. Yun soon learned that Akira liked to do other things for fun like read books, write calligraphy, write stories or haikus, play video games, and train for hours with his wooden sword that he called a bokken. "No real sword until you've mastered the forms with the bokken, son," his elderly master told him. Akira's sword (or kendo) master had a hard name to remember. Akira wanted to be a Samurai like his daddy, General Kenji Tomohiro of the Fire Nation, who was killed fighting the Emperor's apprentice, the Dark Lord Shang. Some people like Lai, an older girl Earthbender who was a soldier in the Restoration, said that the Dark Lord was… freaking (Master Wei didn't like her saying swear words even if he said them all the time)_ insane _! Shang simply enjoyed killing people; it was his idea of fun, not even the Emperor did that! Yes, he killed many people, but not just because he was bored! Yun closed her eyes to try and expel thoughts of the enemy from her mind._

_The starry sky was so clear that she just had to wake up Akira so they could go play by the lake. He was cranky at first, not really wanting to play late at night, but eventually conceded and followed her. Instead of playing, he just sat by the water with his legs crossed and arms resting in his lap with his eyes closed. "What are you doing?" Yun asked him curiously as he made a humming noise._

_"Meditating," Akira explained, sounding very relaxed. "You should try it, Yun, my master says it helps you feel better spiritually and relax. Dr. Patel told me that it can even make you better when you get sick." He patted the ground on his left side. " Come on, I'll show you." Yun did not quite understand, but she knew the Avatar had to be 'spiritual'. She sat down beside Akira and closed her eyes. "Now," he whispered, "relax your face… now your shoulders… your arms… your hands… and the rest of your body. Now breathe slow and deep and try to listen only to the sound of the waterfall." She followed his instructions. "Now, while you breathe out, say 'ohm'."_

_Yun breathed slowly and steadily for a moment, humming along with Akira until she felt her mind drifting, the darkness fading away. She was no longer in the valley, but on top of a tall pagoda standing on top of a cliff in a lush, green island in the middle of an ocean, the dark blue, almost purple waves crashing on the white sand. It wasn't night, but sunset, the sun shining an orange and golden light on the world. It was almost as if the sky was on fire. She could stay up there forever and be happy. Both in her imaginary world and in the real world, she felt herself lying on her back, her hands resting behind her head, her hair spilling out behind her._

_"Hello, Yun." Yun looked up startled as an ethereal white glow appeared above her. The voice was that of an old lady's and at that realization, her dream world instantly faded back to the valley. She let out a gasp of horror at the sight of a thin, ghostly, but beautiful old woman floating above the water, smiling kindly at her. "Don't be afraid," the spirit said as Yun clung tightly to Akira, hiding her face in his shoulder. "I'm a friend."_

_"Who are you?" Yun whimpered._

_"My name's Korra," the spirit replied and then Yun surveyed her. "I've been wanting to meet you for a long time, my dear." Her clothes were blue and distinctly traditional Water Tribe garments. Her white hair was tied in a thick braid that was slung over her shoulder, and her deep blue eyes seemed to be searching Yun's very soul. Yun could feel the powerful presence of the old Avatar's spirit, but it was also strangely comforting._

_"You were the Avatar before her!" Akira exclaimed springing to his feet and quickly bowed. Yun got up and bowed too, realizing it would be respectful to bow to any spirit, especially past Avatars. "You knew my daddy, Avatar Korra! His name was Kenji Tomohiro!"_

_"Just 'Korra' will do, half-pint," she replied and her smile faded. "And yes, kiddo, I did know Kenji. He was a good friend and the best swordsman I ever laid eyes on. I guess it runs in the family. You look like your father. I know one day you'll grow up to be as handsome as he was and just as skilled a swordsman. I just hope you won't inherit his mouth. He swore worse than an angry Beifong even when he was happy." Akira blushed at Korra's compliment and Yun laughed at her joke. Master Wei_ did _swear a lot. However, she stopped laughing when Korra turned her attention back to her. She looked so sad. "Speaking of things that seem to pass down, it looks like the new Avatar is once again destined to fix the mistakes of the old."_

_"W – What do you mean?" Yun stammered. Avatars couldn't make big mistakes; Yun always thought that once an Avatar finishes training, he or she does almost everything right._

_"How much do you know about the Emperor, sweetie?" Korra asked and Yun scrunched her face in disgust._

_"He's a monster!" Yun shouted, slamming her fist on the ground, making it quake lightly underneath Akira and her. "He takes kids who can bend away from their mommies and daddies and uses them as slaves forever to hurt and kill people! I hate him!"_

_"If you can believe it," said Korra "he's a lot worse." Yun gasped in horror. What could he possibly be doing that was worse than that? Korra seemed to be reading her mind. "Emperor Donghae and his apprentice, Lord Shang are Shadowbenders. This is not a natural bending art, but a dark perversion of Energybending and Spiritbending. I have no idea how it came about, but they can use it to drain spirits' powers… their very life force."_

_Yun felt her insides turning to ice as she clung to Akira who rubbed her back comfortingly. "Do you know what the Avatar is supposed to do, Yun?" She lifted her head from her friend's shoulder and once again met Korra's cerulean eyes._

_"Bring peace to the world?"_

_"That's true," said Korra, "but you're also supposed to be the bridge between the Spirit World and the Mortal World. The Avatar's supposed to protect the spirits as well as life on earth…" She floated there silently for a moment as if pondering on what to tell her young successor. "I made a terrible mistake, Yun. You know the story of the last Harmonic Convergence, right?"_

_"When you fighted UnaVaatu?" Akira piped up excitedly._

_"Fought," Korra corrected him, "not fighted, and yes. Well, after everything was over, I decided to leave the spirit portals open so that the humans and spirits could live together in harmony, but everything seemed to just go downhill from there."_

_"But why's that a bad thing?" asked Yun confused. "I think it's a good thing if people and spirits are living together."_

_"Because all the wrong people were not ready for it," said Korra. "Harmonic Convergence led to some good things, like the return of the Airbenders, but it also set a domino effect into motion." The two children did not understand what that meant, so Korra elaborated. "You know how when you set up a row of dominoes and knock one down, the next one keeps making the others fall? A domino effect is a chain of events that starts with one thing that has consequences leading to another thing, and so on, and so forth._

_"Anyway, in the wake of Harmonic Convergence, Zaheer of the Red Lotus got Airbending powers, and with his closest friends, tried to overthrow all of the world's governments. From the mess he left in this land, Kuvira of Zaofu tried to take over the Earth Kingdom and United Republic lands as Empress and she nearly succeeded. Even the Kingdom of Joseon, which has always been proud of its culture and history as an almost-independent land, had joined Kuvira so she could bring order back. She even managed to all but decimate Republic City. Well, we had peace for a while after I stopped her and she and Bataar Beifong Jr. went to prison. Then there was the terrible, bloody War of the Earth Republics, which resulted in tens of millions of pointless deaths. Then years later, the Shadowbenders had returned, and this helped Vaatu gather enough strength to separate from Raava once again-"_

_Yun and Akira both gasped. "How?" Yun whimpered. "Is Vaatu back?"_

_"No, Yun," said Korra gently. "Vaatu thrives on chaos and discord. With the Red Lotus, Kuvira's Empire, the War of the Republics, and especially the return of Shadowbending, this gave him strength to be his own spirit once again. But, it's not enough for him to become a true threat. Vaatu is imprisoned deep within the Spirit World, and only I know where. We won't hear of him for another ten thousand years."_

_Yun sighed in relief as Akira put his arm around her. "What happened?" said Yun, "How did this all start?"_

_"Well, after Kuvira's defeat, one thing led to another until – seventy-two years later – an insurgency started to spread throughout the world under the command of Lord Shang, who was expelled from the Order of the Red Lotus, who had seen just how far he was willing to go to bring destruction and chaos to our world. Shang took advantage of the chaos and formed an extremist splinter movement within the Red Lotus into a powerful terrorist network. He has a lot of charisma, I can tell you that._

_"Donghae was only a Senator in the United Republic at first. He seemed like a kind enough man - well, all politicians snakes, but I never would've suspected him to have fangs." It was no different from the little that Master Wei had told Yun about the Emperor, how he managed to trick so many people into trusting him. "He was a strong presence in a crumbling government. The citizens of the United Republic elected him as President after he promised to bring the chaos under control. The alternative was utter anarchy he managed to convince us._

_"We all knew that there was another Shadowbender out there pulling Shang's strings, and eventually, as every nation began to fall under Donghae's so-called Umbrella of Protection, Shang ordered one last assault on the Republic. That was when Hiro Sato, the grandson of Asami and I-"_

_"I met Hiro!" Yun exclaimed. "I mean, General Sato. He brought me here with Master Wei and his other friends! He wants to teach me Waterbending when I grow up!"_

_Korra smiled in response. "I expect he would," she said. "He's one of the best Waterbenders in the world, so pay attention to him when you're ready to learn it, and I think he'd just want you to call him Hiro, we Southern Water Tribe people never really believed in formal titles, not even in the days of Avatar Aang. Anyway, Hiro realized the truth about the President. He worked as a military advisor on Donghae's staff-"_

_"Wait," Akira cut in, frowning slightly. "How did you and Asami have a grandson? You'd need to have a son or daughter first, and you're both ladies." Yun had to agree, but would never have thought to ask that question. Korra looked at him for a moment before smiling broadly, Akira still looking confused. "What? For a lady to have a baby, a man has to… you know..."_

_"Ever hear of artificial insemination?" Korra replied and laughed at the confused looks on the children's faces. "I got pregnant and we had a boy. He got married and had Hiro along with his fifteen siblings." The children exchanged incredulous glances at that number. "Yes, Asami and I were very happy having all those grandchildren. Well, when he learned the terrible truth, Hiro confronted Donghae with some soldiers – including your Earthbending master, Wei Beifong, and he was right. The President was a Shadowbender. They fought him and Donghae killed everybody except Hiro, Wei, and one young Fire Nation General named Thanh An Nguyen. They rushed back to warn General Tomohiro and I, but before we could act, Donghae's purge of the benders was already underway… how he justified this was by saying any bender was a potential Separatist."_

_If it were possible for a spirit to cry, Yun was sure Korra would have. Her own eyes filled with tears and she placed her head back on Akira's shoulder as the old Avatar continued to speak. "They killed not only soldiers of the alliance, but women, children, the elderly… in your hometown, Yun, they forced children out of shelters, lined them up against the wall-"_

_"Stop!" Akira exclaimed, absentmindedly running his hand through Yun's hair. "Please..."_

_"I'm sorry," Korra whispered. "I'm sorry you have to go through this because of me."_

_"It's not because of you!" Yun shouted back in a tone that was almost unnatural for a child her age, her eyes burning with tears as she sat up straight "It's because of that… that monster and I'm going to kill him for this! I'm going to kill him!" Akira put his arm around her and she immediately relaxed. "Sorry," she whispered, her head bent. "I-I always hated th-the Emperor, but now I just…"_

_"I know," said Korra softly. "It's okay to feel this way, but the Emperor is a very powerful Shadowbender. I was just as angry as you are now during the purge so I went to fight him," she turned to Akira, "and your father went to fight Shang. He was more powerful than anybody I've ever fought and he mortally wounded me. I escaped with my life barely intact, but Kenji… Shang killed him brutally. Didn't even leave your poor mother a body to cremate. I went back to the Southern Water Tribe on the verge of death. Donghae declared himself the Emperor and Shang became the top commander of the Imperial Armed Forces. I died two weeks later._

_"It's all my fault," Korra muttered. "I should have done what I originally planned after defeating Unalaq, and closed the spirit portals right away instead of nearly an entire century later." Yun could not say anything, but she swore to herself to set things right so that Korra could rest in peace. The dead should not have to be sad._

_"However, you have an advantage, Yun," said Korra. "You have the advantage of time to travel the world and master all four elements as well as the Avatar State. Unlike Aang, you're not bound to any time limit and unlike me, the enemy doesn't know who you are yet."_

_"I'll practice hard, Korra," Yun promised. "I'm listening to everything Master Wei says, but will you help me too?"_

_"Of course, Yun," said Korra, raising her hand reassuringly. "All your past lives are there for you whenever you need our help. If you want to talk to me, Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, or even Wan, we'll be there. I was sure Unalaq cut off our connection to our past lives forever, but once the Shadowbenders re-appeared to throw the world into chaos once more, I knew that we were facing an enemy unlike the world had seen for thousands of years. I spent weeks in the Spirit World meditating under the Tree of Time after I re-imprisoned Vaatu. The spirits helped me reconnect to them once more. Now, Avatar Yun, we are all here with you."_

_"Thank you, Korra." Yun and Akira bowed respectfully as the old Avatar vanished into thin air._

* * *

Yun and Akira simply lay there for a while longer until Akira broke the silence. "We'd better get going. I'm probably going to get an earful from Master Goshiro." He sprang to his feet and Yun followed suit.

"Lucky you," she muttered. "Master Wei's probably going to have me Metalbending all night."

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: No, I am not Korean, I don't speak the language, and I never went to the ROK (or DPRK). Yes, I did make a Pokémon reference even if I don't like the franchise at all. Yes, a big, tough Beifong has a soft spot for little kids, but we'll see how that changes when she's a teenager. As for the technology, I was originally going to go cyberpunk but I decided to have it like we do in our world nowadays. Before anyone asks, yes, Wei's tests were based on the ones in the-movie-that-shall-not-be-named. It wasn't all crap, just 99.9%. Lastly, no this will not be Star Wars: The Avatar Edition. And yes, Cabbage is that world's version of Apple.


End file.
